Ukraine Is Submitting Fast-Track NATO Application

Ukraine’s president says his country is submitting an "accelerated" application to join the NATO military alliance. President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement Friday came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed treaties to annex occupied areas of Ukraine that he warned Russia would protect using "all available means," the AP reports. Zelensky said “we are taking our decisive step by signing Ukraine’s application for accelerated accession to NATO." The Ukrainian leader’s NATO application adds another layer of complexity to the seven-month old conflict that rapidly escalated following Putin’s announcement of annexing parts of Ukraine.

Zelensky is seeking the same fast-track procedure as Sweden and Finland, which applied to join NATO months after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Hill reports. "De facto, we have already proven compatibility with alliance standards. They are real for Ukraine—real on the battlefield and in all aspects of our interaction," Zelensky said on his Telegram channel, per Axios. "We trust each other, we help each other, and we protect each other. This is the alliance." Zelensky also repeated his pledge to retake all Ukrainian territory now held by Russia, which he said "feels our power.” He said Ukraine is ready for dialogue with Moscow, but "with another president of Russia." (More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)